Township salaries

March 5, 2013

To the Editor:

The primary election was on Feb. 26. In Nunda Township, it was a race for the highway commissioner, an office that Don Kopsell has held for as long as I can remember. As of the writing of this letter, it remained close.

I do know that the compensation budgeted for this position is $94,740 a year. We as taxpaying voters should know this. And let’s not forget about the many benefits and perks that go along with the job, including a wonderful retirement plan to look forward to. This is only at the the township level. What do you think is happening on the county level?

For the record, the budget for the Nunda supervisor’s compensation is $75,280, and for the assessor, it’s $80,518. Apparently, not everyone has been doing much belt-tightening like the rest of us taxpayers. How do you like your real estate tax bill now?

Taxes in this county and many others like it will be the cause of the next wave of foreclosures. I don’t mean to pick on the people from Nunda. It just happens to be the township in which I live. It’s the same in all areas, in Cook and the surrounding collar counties.

Major changes are needed, and you can bet the benefactors of these positions will not be the ones leading the charge. Good luck to all of us. I think we’re going to need it.